Czech Inspectors Find Horsemeat in IKEA Meatballs

A batch of meatballs pulled from shelves at IKEA stores after Czech inspectors discovered they contained horsemeat had been on sale in several European countries, the company's Czech spokesman said on Monday.

The spokesman for the Swedish furniture store chain Petr Chadraba, said the batch of meatballs had been on sale in countries including the Czech Republic, Britain, Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium.

IKEA says the meatballs its sells should be made of beef and pork. The company intends to carry out checks on the popular minced meat lunch for the possible DNA presence of horsemeat.

The deep-frozen meatballs in question were produced in Sweden by supplier Familjen Dafgard, an IKEA spokesman said.

A horsemeat scandal in Europe has prompted widespread product withdrawals, consumer concern and government investigations into food processing systems across the continent.